It's Not An Option, It's A Duty

As anyone who has ever responded to a jury summons can attest, the whole process can be a real chore. But it's also a serious responsibility that no citizen should shirk.

So it was welcome news last week when Cook County Chief Judge Donald O'Connell announced plans to streamline the county's jury selection procedure and make it more user-friendly.

At the same time, he wants to limit the reasons people may use to get out of serving on a jury to health problems, military service and certain family circumstances.

That's fair enough. Few Americans dispute the wisdom of the practice of rounding up citizens to sit in judgment in a court of law. But far too many think they're "just too busy" to serve when their turn comes around.

Judge O'Connell hopes to change that by simplifying the juror notification process. Instead of potential jurors receiving first a questionnaire that they must fill out and mail back, and then a summons, the two would be consolidated into one mailing.

He also plans to give greater leeway for potential jurors who want to reschedule their dates and to set up phone lines for their questions and complaints.

If making jury duty, which pays a paltry $17 a day, more appealing doesn't do the trick, O'Connell is also talking about fining people who don't respond or who refuse to serve.

We hope it doesn't come to that. Last year, 934,000 questionnaires were mailed to prospective jurors in Cook County, but only 495,000 were returned. Even allowing for the inevitable wrong addresses and recipients who had moved, that's a shameful figure.

Perhaps with the proposed changes, the thousands of folks who tossed their civic responsibility in the trash last year will be more inclined to participate.